Building a light mountain bike

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
December 23, 2015

I thought that MTB are not meant to be light because of the heavy duty work they do in the mountains and would typically be in the order o 13 to 20 kg.   Big tires, big frame, big cogs and heavy duty BB and axle.    However, MTB can be made as light or lighter than road bikes.

Here you can see an MTB that tips the scales at 6.54 kg or about l4 lbs.  My Fuji road bike would be 16 lbs.   Light Scott MTB

specs:

Frame: SCOTT SCALE SL
Headset: TUNE BUBU custom made
Stem: AX LIGHTNESS custom air brush painted 100mm
Fork: DT Swiss XRC Twin shoot custom brushed
Handlebar: Schmolke SL 600mm custom brushed
Barends: SLB CUSstom 90g
Grips: Extralite
Crank : THM Clavicula 42/32
Chainring: Carbon Ti
Cassette: SRAM XX 11-36
Chain: YBN TITAN
Seat:Parts od Passion
Seatpost: Schmolke TLO 400mm custom
Brake: Magura MT 8
Brakerotor: HOPE Race Edition
Derailleurs: Acros A GE
Bottle Cage: Tune
ALL Bolts and screws are made: Titan /ALU /bottecage carbon
Rims: AX Lightweight tubular brushed
Hubs: TUNE Princess SKYLINE
Hub: Tune Dezibel custom
Spokes: Sapin Superspoke carbon laminated

Making your mountain bike lighter  from From Wikihow

Some how to:

1.  Consider lighter frames:   carbon fiber, titanium, aluminium in that order

2.  Switch to lighter wheel set

3.  Remove the third chain wheel and have extra large cogs

4.  Switch to ligher tires.  Some tires can weigh as much as 900 grams. Some tires tip the scales at 300 grams and you save 1.2 kg on tires alone

4.  Remove all unneccesary accessory that add weight

5.  Switch to ligher pedals say carbon fiber.   My pedal at road bike is mere 88 grams for the pair.  Other pedals are about 400 grams for a pair

Cannondale FSi weighs mere 18.6 lbs but cost $4,500

4 ways to lighten your bike

1.  Lighter tires

2. Go tubeless

3.  Reduce body weight

4.  Lighter used fork


Lightest mountain bike at 18.5 lbs Look 986